On 58^th Birthday.

A birthday is special, but 58^th birthday holds a special place in a person’s life. A man/woman retires on this day. It’s mostly a day of farewell and contemplation about the worklife that has been, what has been achieved in place of what could have been and how this post work life would be.

But if we compare a person to a nation 58 years are an iota of time as concept of nation extends beyond time. However still it breeds a thought about how we wanted our nation to be and how it is.

The era after independence was of euphoria, about birth of a nation to “tryst with destiny”.We had a belief that we will create a just and equal society and bring peace in this war torn world.

The dream has not only soured but it has turned into nightmare. We probably have the largest mass of humans living in sub-human conditions. A populace marred by poverty and illiteracy with deep fissures on basis of cast, creed, sex and religion although our constitution guarantees equality. Victims of a riots which occurred 21 years earlier still await justice just because the accused were some bigwigs.

Leave aside peace in the world but our own house is in disarray. Terrorism has killed more Indians than any other nationals. J&K with North-East are terror havens of the world where government has succumbed before the terrorist pressures. ( Recently Naga student unions blocked Highways to Manipur bringing life to a halt in this state and our Central and State governments watched meekly).

We dreamt of becoming a developed nation and had the brightest prospects among all the colonies, but on 58^th birthday we share the lowest place in Human development index and per capita income. Our so called Commercial capital is inundated by floods due to few hours of rains which we dream of making financial capital of Asia.

But still we keep living, hoping that one day the situation will change, somebody will arrive and clean up this whole mess and make us strong prosperous. Forgetting that no nation can achieve that status without an enlightened mass of people. People who will fight for the rights but also not shy away from responsibilities. All the problems we see around.... we tend to blame on politicians or the erstwhile British Raj. But where are we as a people.........why do we ignore when the riots happen at first place and do’nt nip them in the bud..........why do we bribe to get our work done and then cry over rampant corruption.......why we do’nt we question when someone is cutting a tree and then cry over decreasing forests.......why we do’nt question when some vehicle pollutes........

The point is we have to stand up as people and then only will this whole situation change and it will change so fast that world will look in awe.

BUT THE NEED IS OF ENLIGHTENED PEOPLE........did’nt Swami Vivekananda said “Give me five dedicated men and I will change the world.” We are a billion.

Otherwise this situation will remain the same and again a Ghalib will say “ Hazaaron Khwahishen aisi...............phir be mere Armaan hi lekin kum nikle”